Life of the Party

Birthday dress and hat, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

This picture doesn't really match this blog entry but I just couldn't help posting another cute photo of Lucy. My mother made her that had to match her birthday dress. When my mom was a little girl, her grandmother would send her a birthday dress each year complete with underwear, stockings, shoes and a hat. Now, she wants to continue that tradition with Lucy so she picked out this dress on our last trip to Oklahoma and then took the dress to the yarn store and picked out the colors. What a cute outfit! And Lucy loves the dress - she knows that it is something special.

I found out this afternoon that my paternal grandmother, Dorothy, had died. It's hard for me to believe that she is no longer with us. She was such a force, a pioneer in her time. She worked in the oil business and over time, invested in wells, making trips out to the fields with the men, wearing her hard hat. She never let us call her "grandma" just Dorothy. She wore bright colors, short skirts and fabulous strappy heels in a size 6! She was a voracious reader and could debate you on an issue from either vantage point. She believed in the power of women and the ability of any one to do what they wanted if they set their mind to it. She encouraged me in everything that I did. I wish that Lucy could have known her more. Dorothy was the life of the party; she could talk to anyone about anything and make them feel like she thought the world of them.

Dorothy entertained a lot! She had her bridge group, her executive secretary group, her book club. But man, could she throw a fantastic party. This is what she suggested that I always have on hand for an spontaneous fete:
Hershey's kisses
M and M's
Bridge Mix
Chips
Salsa with a can of black-eyed peas mixed together
and of course,
some good quality mixers.

There you have it. I'll miss you Dorothy. I'll do my best to teach Lucy what you taught me: to respect others, educate yourself, and never underestimate the power of a woman.